Method of and apparatus for handling tin plate



Dec. 1932- A. D. EVANS ET AL METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR HANDLING TINPLATE Filed March 24, 1930 7 Sheets-Sheet WMWN flea/#5440. 0 fwsvvs andJQMES A. Lama/9.55. W v M Our 0-3 Dec. 6, 193 2. A. D. EVANS ET AL1,890,250

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR HANDLING TIN PLATE Filed March 24, 1930 7Sheets-Sheet 2 jmeniars 42005440 0. EIW/VS 40d JHMES K, Lama/e55.

Dec. 6, 1932. A. D. EVANS ET AL METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR HANDLING TINPLATE Filed March 24, 1930 '7 Sheets-Sheet 5 [wen/6091s: flea-0541.0 D.EVE/V5 and z I JA /v55 K. L4M0EEE. w W

Dec. 6, 1932. A. D. EVANS ET AL METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR HANDLING TINPLATE 7 Sheets-Sheet Filed March 24, 1930 171116705075 flea/705,440 D.[Vfl/VS and Jaw/5 /r. LHMO/GEE.

w'M b4 De. '6, 1932. I EVANS ET AL 1,890,250

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR HANDLING TIN PLATE W a da f D 6, 1932- A; D.EVANS ET AL 1,890,250

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR HANDLING TIN PLATE 7 Filed Marph 24. 1930 7Sheets-Sheet 6 f7weni'orsi 1419677051440 0. EI fi/VS a d, JHMES K.Lama/Q55.

1932- A. D- EVANS ET AL METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR HANDLING TIN PLATE 7Sheets-Sheet 7,

Filed March 24:, 1950 [men/502$:

M w a m NE x if 1 0. a E;

mama Dec. 6, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE ARCHIBALD' D. EVANS, OIWARREN, OHIO AND JAMES R. LAMOREE, OI MOUNT LEBANON, PENNSYLVANIA HETHbDAND APPARATUS FOR-HANDLING TIN PLATE Application flledlarch 24, 1930.Serial No. 438,485.

This invention relates to a method of and mechanism for handling tinplate and has for its object the provision of such a method andmechanism which will provide for mel chan-ical handling of the platesduring the inspecting, countin and 1ling thereof prior to boxing orassembling or shipping.

Heretofore, tin plate has been generally handled manually wheninspected, counted I by hand and weighed by hand prior to-box- Thepresent method and mechanism eliminates all manual lifting and handlingof the tin plate except for the feeding of the plates into suitableconveying mechanism by the inspectors.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the sheet handling apparatus.

Figure 2 is an enlarged side elevation of the sheet turnover mechanism.

Figure 3 is a sectional elevation of the turnover mechanism.

Figure 4 is an enlarged plan of the mechanism for handling the turnedplates or sheets.

Figure 5 is a side elevation of the apparatus of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a transverse section taken on the line VI-VI of Figure 1through the three-way selective conveyer operated by the secondinspector.

Figure? is a diagrammatic detail showing the manner in which the sheetsclose the circuit to an electrically operated counting mechanism.

Figure 8 is an elementary wiring diagram of the control circuit for thebufiing rollers.

Figure 9 is an elementary wiring diagram of the control for the'magneticrollers and stops of the selective conveyer.

Figure 10 is an elementary wiring diagram of the counter control andpile trip switch.

Referring more particularly to the draw ings, the tin plate A to beinspected is mounted on the platform 2 which is carried by a verticallymovable plunger 2 of a fluid pressure cylinder 2". The plunger 2 isadapted to be elevated as the plates are inspected and moved off thepile so as to maintain the top sheet at the proper height at all times.

The inspector or sorter stands upon a platform 'D facing the sheets A,and the top face of each sheet is in turn examined and the sheet is thenfed into the handling mechanism, to be described.

The cylinder 2* is adapted to receive hydraulic power from a pump 3which is driven by a belt 4" from a motor 4. A switch 5 controls theoperation of the motor 4 and is positioned conveniently to the platformD so as to enable the first sorter to maintain the proper elevation ofthe pile of plates A.

A pair of feed-in rollers 6 and conveyer belts 7 and 8 serve to conveythe plates from the pile A after their top faces are inspected. Thebelts 7 and 8 are trained over suitable pulleys on shafts 9 and 9. Theshaft 9v is adapted to be driven by a chain 9 which is trained oversprockets 20 and 19 on the shafts 9 and 18, respectively. The shaft 18is connected to the shaft 31 of a plate turnover conveyer (to bedescribed) by a chain 10 trained over sprockets 31' and 31 on the shafts18 and 31, respectively. The shaft 31 is connected to the power shaft 11of the turnover conveyer by a chain 10 trained over sprockets 200 and201 on the shafts 31 and 11, respectively. The shaft 11 receives itspower from a motor 13 through a reduction gear assembly 13 which has asprocket 13 connected by a chain 12 to a sprocket 12 on the shaft 11.

As the sheets or plates are conveyed forwardly by the belts 7 and 8,bufiing rollers 14. which are mounted on shafts 14journaled in swingingarms 15, may be raised to engage and mark the underside of the plates ifthe top face shows an imperfection. The arms 15- are mounted on and arefree to pivot about the shaft 9 and are limited in their downwardmovement by a stop 16 and in their upward movement by a stop 17. Thebufting rollers 14 are driven from the shaft 9 by chains 20 trained oversprockets on the shafts 9 and 14, respectively.

The bufiing rollers 14 normally rest on the stop 16 by gravity, and whenit is desired to mark an imperfect sheet, one or the other or both ofthe bufling rollers 14 may be elevated into contact with the undersurface of i and solenoid or magnetic contactor 203,.

the assorter or inspector. When either of the switches 21 are operated acircuit is closed from the power lines 200 and 201 through the switch21, and a resistance 202 which contaetor in turn closes a circuit fromthe lines 200 and 201 through the solenoid 22. The movement of thesolenoid core 24 causes the arms 15 to rotate about the shaft 9, whichelevates the roll 14 into contact with the lower face of the sheet orplate being inspected, thus marking the sheet for future inspection.

The plates or sheets pass from the conveyer belts 7 and 8 into aturnover conveyer B which conveys the plates forwardly and turns themover while they are being conveyed without injury or damage to theplates. This operation is for the purpose of exposing the under orunexamined face of theplates to the scrutiny of a second sorter orinspector.

The turnover conveyer comprises housings 29 which support shafts 11, 31,32 and 33 carrying rollers or pulleys 25, 26, 27 and 28, respectively.The pulleys 25, 26, 27 and 28 are all arranged in the same plane so asto permit a single endless belt 30 to be trained about the four pulleysin such a manner as toprovide two adjacent belt surfaces traveling inthe same direction and making a 180 degree turn between the pulleys.

The pulley 25 is keyed or otherwisesecured to the shaft 11 and is thedriving pulley. The other pulleys 26, 27 and 28 are idler pulleys. Thebelt 30 is trained or wrapped around the pulleys as follows.

Starting at the pulley 25 the belt is passed under the pulley 25, thenrearwardly under and over the pulley 26, then passed forwardly andturned 180 degrees and passed under and over the pulley 28, passedrearwardly over and under the pulley 27, passed forwardly and turned 180degrees, and then passed over the pulley 25 tothe point of starting.

From the above it will readily be seen that this arrangement of the belt30 provides two portions of the same belt moving from points Y to Z,closely adjacent and turning or twisting 180 degrees so that a plate orsheet en! ering the nip of the adjacent portions of the belt at Y willbe tightly held between the adjacent belt surfaces, turned 180 degrees,and delivered to the point Z.

A simple belt conveyer 42 is providedfor receiving the turned sheets orplates from the turnover conveyer B and delivering such plates to avacuum cleaning device (to be described).

Upon emerging from the palm oil bath in the regular tinning operationthe sheets or plates are cleaned by means of bran flour. Particles ofthis flour adhere to the sheets or plates and must be removed. In orderto remove the particles of bran flour a vacuum cleaning mechanism isprovided consist'ng of two rotary brushes 34 which are adapted to berotated at a. speed greatly exceeding the speed of the sheets or plates.It is the purpose of the brushes 34 to mechanically dislodge theparticles of bran from the sheet surfaces.

The conveyer 42 has its head shaft 42 provided with a drive-sprocket- 42which is connected by'a chain 35 with a sprocket 35 on the gearrcductTon assembly 13. The head shaft 42 of the conveyer 42 is providedwith a second sprocket 36 which is connected to a sprocket 36 on thelower one of the brushes 34 by a chain 36. The brushes 34 are connectedtogether for rotation by gears 37. I Thebrushes 34 are enclosed in asheet metal casing 38 to which are connected suction lines 39 leading toa suction pump 40 which is operated by a motor 41 through a belt drive"-connection 41*.

The succession of sheets or plates passed between the cleaning brushesare fed into the nip of a pair of curved feed-out and piling rollers 43and projected outwardly within the confining guides 45, 46, 47 and 48 soas to form a pile on a normally stationary trans? verse belt conveyer44. The lower one of the piling rolls 43 is provided with a sprocket 43connected by a chain 43 with a sprocket 43 on the lower brush 34.

When a suflieient number of sheets or plates are accumulated on thetransverse or cross conveyer 44, the second nspector or assorterstationed at station S causes the which the belts 44 are trained by achain 51 trained .over sprockets 51".

The guide 45 is mounted so as to yield as the pile of plates are movedagainst it when the conveyer belts 44 are operated.

The switch 50 is a standard two gang structure and is connected so as tooppositely control the circuits to the motors 51 and 13, that is, whenthe switch 50 is operated to complete the circuit to the motor 51 so asto operate the conveyer belts 44, it simultaneously breaks the circiutto the motor 13 so as to stop the conveyer 42, turnover conveyer B andother mechanism to the rear and thus stop the supply of plates or sheetsto the conveyer 44. After the pile of sheets or plates on the conveyer44 has been moved over against the stop 49 the switch 50 will bereversed to break the circuit to the motor 51 and again complete thecircuit to the motor 13. I

The inspector or assorters duty at the station S is to inspect the topface of the sheets or plates in the piles moved over to his station bythe conveyer 44. As the sorter at station S determines the grade of eachsheet by inspecting the top exposed surface and giving proper heed tothe markings on said sheet made by the bufiing rolls 14, he feeds thesheets or plates into the bite of the curved feed-out rollers 52. Theupper roller 52 is an idler roller while the lower roller 52 is drivenby a motor 53 through a reduction gear 54, sprockets 55 and 57 and achain 56. The rollers 52 deposit the sheets or plates on a three-wayselective conveyer mechanism C.

The conveyer mechanism C comprises. a forwardly extending conveyer belt58 having magnet rollers 59 and 60 extending along each side thereof.The sheets or plates are adapted to be deposited on the conveyer belt 58with the sides overhanging the magnet rollers 59 and 60, as indicated bythe dotted line 61. The belt 58 is supported by rollers 114 which arecarried by crank arms 250 pivoted on supporting brackets 251 andcarrying steel bars 252 adapted to be attracted by the magnetic rolls 59and 60, respectively. Stops 253 and 254 are provided for limiting themovement of the crank arms 250. The magnet rollers 59 and 60 areconstantly driven in opposite directions by a motor 62, chain drive 63,bevel gears 64 and vertical shaft 65 which is connected to the shaft 58of the pulley 58 by gears 66 and 67. Gears 59 and 60 on the shaft 58 aremeshed with gears 59 and 60 on the magnet rollers 59 and 60,respectively, and the gears 68 and 69 are meshed with gears 68 and 69 onthe lower ones of curved feed-out rollers 68 and 69. The feed-outrollers 68 and 69 are adapted to receive the sheets fed transversely bythe magnet rollers 59 and 60, respectively.

Stops 70 and 71 are provided and arranged to move downwardly by gravityand upwardly by means of the electrical coil 72 secured to a pedestal 73interwired with the magnet rollers 59 and 60 and controlled by the footswitches M and N which are adapted to energize the magnet rollers 59 and60 and are operated by the second inspector. Depressing and closingswitch M operates a magnetic contactor 302, which sets up a circuitthrough solenoid switch 72 and the brushes and collector rings 304 and305, respectively, on the magnetic roll 59, then through the internalwinding of themagnetic roll 59 so as to ener ize the roll. The solenoid72, being energized by the same circuit, will raise the stops 70 and 71.The operation of the magnetic roll 60 is controlled by the switch Nwhich, when depressed, will operate a magnetic contactor 312 and set upa circuit through solenoid 72 and brushes 314 and collector rings 315 onthe magnetic roll 60, thus energizin the roll 60 and raising the stops70 and 1, the same as when the roll 59 was energized.

In 0 eration the sheets or plates passed throng the roller 52 by thesecond inspector are deposited on the moving belt 58. If the sheets areperfect they will be permitted to move forwardly on the conveyer 58;however, in the event the sheet or plate is imperfect, that is, what isknown in the trade as a second or mender, the inspector will depress oneor the other of the foot control switches M or N at the instant thesheet is deposited on the conveyor belt 58, thus completing one of theelectrical circuits previously described for the magnetic rolls 59 or 60and the solenoid 72. As previously stated, energizing the solenoid 72raises the stops 70 and 71, which arrest the forward movement of thesheet or plate and serve as guides for the sheet or plate as it is movedto one side by the magnetic roller selected.

If the foot control switch M is depressed the steel bar 252 carried bythe crank arms 250 supporting the rollers 114 nearest the magnetic roll59, which is energized by the switch M, will be attracted toward theenergized magnetic roll 59 until it moves against a stop 253, thuslowering the rollers 114 supporting that side of the belt 58. Thismovement allows the side of the belt 58 adjacent the magnetic roll 59 todrop sufficiently to permit the imperfect sheet or plate to come incontact with the magnetic roll, which is constantly rotated to draw thesheet or plate off the belt 58, and feed the sheet into the feed-outrollers 68.

As the foot control switch N is depressed the steel bar 252 carried bythe lever supporting the rolls 114 nearest the magnetic roll 60 will beattracted by the magnetic roll 60 and the rollers 114 supported by thiscrank arm will be lowered, thus permitting the side of the belt 58nearest the magnet roll 60 to fall or sag, and allowing the imperfectsheet or plate to come into contact with the magnetic roll 60 so as toenable the roll 60, which is continuously rotating, to draw the sheet orplate oil the belt 58 and feed it into the feed-out rollers 69.

The switches M and N are standard control switches and therefore areonly indicated generally.

A pair of pinch-rollers 74 are provided immediately in advance of thebelt conveyer 58 and are adapted to receive the sheets or plates fromthe conveyer belt 58 and feed them forwardly onto a counting conveyer(to be described).

As each successive sheet or plate is ad vanced by the rollers 74 itpasses over energized disks 79 and 80 and is forced into contact withsaid disks by idler rollers 81 and 82. The disks 79 and 80 are keyed toshafts 83 and 84, respectively, and are insulated therefrom byinsulating sleeves 83 and 84, respectively. The disks 79 and 80 areenergized from a suitable source of electric cur- 7 rent through brushes85 and 86. The plates passing over the energized rollers 79 and 80 willcomplete a circuit to a standard electrically operated counter indicatedat 80'.

The shafts 83 and 84 carry suitable pulleys over which endless belts 87and 88 are trained and which serve to convey the successive sheets overthe disks 79 and 80 and into the drive the conveyer shaft 84- through achain 97 and sprockets 97 and 97 The shaft 84 is connected to and drivesthe lower curved piling roller by a chain.100 trained over sprockets 98and 99. The shaft 83 is prov vided with a sprocket 101 which isconnected to a sprocket 102 on the lower one of the pinch-rollers 74 bya chain 103.

The automatic electrically operated counting device is a standardcommercial five figure alarm counter, solenoid operated and is adaptedto control the circuits to the motors 53, 62 and 96. When the counterreaches a predetermined number an electrical contact will be tripped,breaking the circuit to motors 53, 62 and 96 and making the circuit tothe motor 104 which operates a pile pushing conveyor mechanism '(to bedescribed). The description of the electrical circuits of the'controlwill be hereinafter set forth in detail. y

As the pile'of plates or sheets are conveyed along the table T they willengage and operate a standard limit switch 106 which completes a circuitwhich resets the counting device and thereby again completes the cirwitto motors 53, 62 and 96 and breaks the circuit to the motor 104. Thusthe operation fromthe second inspector, which has been temporarilyinterrupted while the completed pile is moved, is automatically resumed.

When the sheetspass over disks 7 9 and 80 they close an electriccircuit. The distance between the disks 79 and 80-determines the periodof time during which the circuit is closed, and it will be understoodeven though the sheet is in contact with one of these disks the circuitwill not be closed until the sheet comes in contact with the other disk."When this circuit is closed solenoid 356 actuates operating lever 357on the counter 80, thus counting the sheet or plate. When apredetermined number of sheets or pl ates has been reached a lever 358on the counter 80 operates and closesthe switch 359, which energizes thecoils of themagnetic contactors 360 ing the solenoid 362 operating resetlever 363 on the counter thereby resettin the counter and breaking thecontact -0 the switch-359, which, in turn, stops the motor 104 andstarts the motors 53, 62 and 96, whereby the cycles are repeated.

The belts 90-91 are supported by a series of idler rollers and togetherwith the guides 92, 93, 94 and 95 form a piling lay-boy into which thesuccessive sheets fall from the curved piling rollers 89. The guide 95is yieldable in the direction the pile of plates ismoved so as not tointerfere with the transfer of the pile of plates along the table T. Thebelts 107 and 108 are adjacent to and in the same horizontal plane asthe belts 90 and 91 and form a storage station where the pile of platesrests after the limit switch 106 has been operated.

The pile pushing mechanism for pushing the piles of plates along thetable T comprises a pair of chains 111 trained over sprockets 112 onshafts 110 at each end of the table and having plate engaging fingers115. The shaft 110 at the forward end of the table is provided with adrive sprocket 109 which is I desired.

he scale 115 is provided with idler conveyer belts 113 to facilitate themovement of the sheets or plates onto the scale. 7

One scale and operator can readily handle the output from two sets .ofhandling equipment, therefore in practice two lines of handlingequipment will preferably be installed, right and left-hand, and bothwill discharge their piles of inspected plates onto a single scale.

A very material saving in labor and a better grade of tin plate resultsfrom handling the tin plate in accordance with the method and with theapparatus of this in vention.

Although our invention is described in connection with the making of tinplate, it, as is obvious, is adapted for use in making plates andsimilar materials.

While we have shown and described certain specific steps in our methodand a certain specific apparatus for carrying out our method, it is tobe understood that we do not Cal wish to be limited thereto sincevarious modifications may be made without departing from the; scope ofour invention, as defined in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A tin plate handling mechanism comprising a vertically movable platesupportmg platform adapted to support. a pile of plates to be inspected,conveying mechanism for receiving and conveying the plates forwardly asthey are manually moved from said pile, and a combined turning andconveying mechanism adapted to receive the plates from said conveyingmechanism and to simultaneously feed said plates forwardly while turningsaid plates 180 degrees, said combined turning and conveying mechanismcomprising two pairs of vertically spaced rollers, said pairs of rollersbeing spaced in the direction of travel of the plates, and a continuousbelt trained over said rollers, said belt extending under the lowerrollers of said pairs of rollers, over the lower roller of the rearpairof rollers, turned 180 degrees, passed under and over the top one ofthe forward pair of rollers, passed over and under the top one of therear pair of rollers, turned 180 degrees, and then passed over the lowerone of the forward pair of rollers whereby the two belt portions turned180 degrees extend par allel with each other and form a twisted paththrough which the plates are conveyed and turned 180 degrees.

2. A tin plate handling mechanism comprising a vertically movable platesupporting platform adapted to support a pile of plates to be inspected,conveying mechanism for receiving and conveying the plates forwardly asthey are manually moved from said pile, a combined turning and conveyingmechanism adapted to receive the plates from sa d conveying mechanismand to simultaneously feed said plates forwardly while turning saidplates 180 degrees, said last named mechanism comprising two pairs ofvertically spaced rollers, said pairs of rollers being spaced in thedirection of-travel of the plates, and a continuous belt trained oversaid rollers, said belt extending under thelower rollers of said pairsof rollers, over the lower roller of the rear pair of rollers, turned180 degrees, passed under and over the top one of the forward pair ofrollers, passed over and under the top one of the rear pair of rollers,turned 180 degrees, and then passed over the lower one of the forwardpair of rollers whereby the two belt portions turned 180 degrees extendparallel with each other to form a twisted path through which the platesare conveyed and turned 180 degrees, and power means for operatin saidconveyin said com ined turning an conveying mechanism.

3. A tin plate handling mechanism com- .prising a vertically movableplate sup orting platform adapted to support a e of plates to beinspected,-conveying mec anlsm for receiving and conveying the platesforwardly as they are manually moved from saidpile after inspection oftheir top faces marking mechanism under the control o the inspectoradapted to mark the under side of imperfect plates as they ass over saidconveying mechanism, a com ined turning and conveying mechanism adaptedto receive the plates from saidvconveying mechanism and tosimultaneously feed said plates forwardly while turning said plates 180degrees, said last named mechanism comprising two pairs of verticallyspaced rollers, said pairs of rollers being spaced in the direction oftravel of the plates, and a continuous belt trained over said rollers,said belt extending under the lower rollers of said pairs of rollers,over the lower roller of the rear pair of rollers, turned 180 degrees,passed under and over the top one of the forward pair of rollers, passedover and under the top one of the rear pair of rollers, turned in thedirection of travel of the plates, and

a continuous belt trained over said rollers, saidbelt extending underthe lower rollers of said pairs of rollers, over the lower roller of thelower pair of rollers, turned 180 degrees, passed under and .over thetop one of the forward pair of rollers, passed over and under the topone of the rear pair of rollers, turned 180 degrees, and then passedover the lower one of the forwardpair of rollers, whereby the two beltportions turned 180 degrees extend parallel with each other and form atwisted path through which the plates are conveyed and turned 180degrees.

5. A tin plate handling mechanism comprising means for supporting a pileof plates to be inspected and a combined turning and conveying mechanismadapted to receive single plates from said pile, said combined turningand conveying mechanism comprising a series of rollers and a singlecontinuous belt mechanism and trained about said rollers so as to havetwo parallel lengths of belt turning at 180 degrees, and forming atwisted path through which the plates are conveyed and turned 180degrees, and means for operating said combined turning and conveyingmechanism.

6. The method of handling and inspecting tin plate which inthldesassembling plates at an inspection station, inspecting the top 10 facesof the plates, marking the under face of imperfect plates, passing allof the inspected plates to a second inspection station, turning theinspected plates while in transit from the first inspection station tosaid secon'd inspection station, inspecting said plates at said secondinspection station, and piling said plates beyond said second inspectionstation in accordance with the second inspection and in accordance withthe markings made at the first inspection.

7. The method of handling and inspecting tin plates which consists inassembling the plates to be inspected at an inspection station,inspecting the top faces of successive plates, marking the imperfectplates, passing the inspected plates to a second inspection station, andturning said plates 180 degrees while in transit to said second station,then inspecting the turned plates at the second inspection station andfinally assorting and piling said plates in accordance with said secondinspection and in accordance to the markings made at said firstinspection station.

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto set our hands.

ARCHIBALD D. EVANS. JAMES K. LAMOREE.

